lens
gb/lˈɛnz/ us/lˈɛnz/
B1
English
lencse, objektív, kontaktlencse, szemlencse, nézőpont, szemszög
NOUN
B1
1
lencse
B1
Usage pattern:
a lens (in/on/of) [something]
The lens bends light to create a sharp image on the sensor.
A lencse megtöri a fényt, hogy éles kép jöjjön létre az érzékelőn.
This magnifier uses a thick lens to enlarge small print.
Ez a nagyító vastag lencsét használ az apró betűk felnagyításához.
The glasses have scratch-resistant lenses.
Learner examples
My glasses need new lenses.
Új lencsék kellenek a szemüvegembe.
I looked at the insect through a lens.
Egy lencsén keresztül néztem a rovart.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse lens (the clear part) with frame (the outer part of glasses).
Meaning
Curved glass or plastic for focusing
Collocations
convex lens
|concave lens
|optical lens
|corrective lens
|magnifying lens
|glass lens
|plastic lens
|prescription lenses
|replace a lens
|look through a lens
Synonyms
optical element (More technical; often used in engineering/optics.)
|
magnifying glass (Only when the lens is used to magnify.)
Themes
science
|technology
|daily_life
Definition
A clear piece of glass or plastic that changes how you see things.
A curved piece of glass or plastic that bends light to form a clear image or to make things look bigger or smaller.
NOUN
B1
2
objektív
B1
Usage pattern:
a [number]mm lens; a zoom/prime/telephoto/wide-angle lens
I brought a wide-angle lens for the landscape shots.
Vittem magammal egy nagylátószögű objektívet a tájképekhez.
Dust on the lens can make photos look blurry.
Az objektíven lévő por homályossá teheti a fotókat.
She switched lenses to get a closer view.
Learner examples
My camera lens is dirty.
Koszos a fényképezőgépem objektívje.
He bought a new lens.
Vett egy új objektívet.
Common mistake:
Learners may say 'camera glass' instead of 'lens'; 'lens' is the natural word.
Meaning
Lens used on a camera
Collocations
zoom lens
|prime lens
|telephoto lens
|wide-angle lens
|macro lens
|lens mount
|lens cap
|lens hood
|change lenses
|clean the lens
Synonyms
objective (More technical; common with microscopes and some cameras.)
Themes
photography
|technology
|media
Definition
The glass part of a camera that takes the picture.
The part of a camera that focuses light to form an image, often a removable unit with a particular focal length or zoom range.
NOUN
B2
3
Usage pattern:
wear contact lenses; put in/take out a contact lens
She wears contact lenses when she plays sports.
Sportolás közben kontaktlencsét visel.
Always wash your hands before you put in a contact lens.
Mindig moss kezet, mielőtt beteszed a kontaktlencsédet.
He keeps a spare pair of contact lenses in his bag.
Learner examples
I wear contact lenses.
Kontaktlencsét hordok.
She took out her lenses.
Kivette a kontaktlencséjét.
Common mistake:
Say 'contact lens' (singular) and 'contact lenses' (plural); 'contacts' is informal.
Meaning
Small lens worn on the eye
Collocations
contact lens
|contact lenses
|daily lenses
|colored contacts
|put in contact lenses
|take out contact lenses
|lens solution
|lens case
|wear contacts
|remove a contact lens
Synonyms
contacts (Informal shortened form, common in conversation.)
Themes
health
|daily_life
Definition
A small lens you put on your eye instead of glasses.
A thin, curved lens worn directly on the surface of the eye to correct vision or change eye color.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
4
szemlencse
C1
Usage pattern:
the lens of the eye
With age, the lens of the eye becomes less flexible.
Az életkor előrehaladtával a szemlencse kevésbé rugalmas.
A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens.
A szürkehályog a szemlencse elhomályosodása.
The lens focuses light onto the retina.
Learner examples
The lens helps the eye focus.
A szemlencse segít a szemnek fókuszálni.
A cataract affects the lens.
A szürkehályog a szemlencsét érinti.
Common mistake:
Learners may think the lens is the same as the pupil; the pupil is an opening, the lens is a clear structure behind it.
Meaning
Natural lens inside the eye
Collocations
the eye's lens
|crystalline lens
|clouding of the lens
|lens shape
|lens focuses light
|lens changes shape
|lens opacity
|lens damage
Synonyms
crystalline lens (More precise anatomical term.)
Themes
health
|biology
|science
Definition
The clear part inside your eye that helps you focus.
The transparent, flexible structure inside the eye that changes shape to focus light on the retina.
NOUN
C1
5
Usage pattern:
a/an [adjective] lens; see/view [something] through a [adjective] lens
The book examines the story through a feminist lens.
A könyv feminista nézőpontból vizsgálja a történetet.
Try looking at the problem through a different lens.
Próbáld meg más szemszögből nézni a problémát.
They analyzed the policy through an economic lens.
Learner examples
I see it through a different lens.
Én más nézőpontból látom ezt.
This lens helps us understand the issue.
Ez a nézőpont segít megérteni a kérdést.
Common mistake:
In this figurative use, 'lens' means a perspective, not a physical object.
Meaning
A way of interpreting something
Collocations
cultural lens
|historical lens
|political lens
|economic lens
|critical lens
|new lens
|interpret through a lens
|analyze through a lens
|view through a lens
|look at it through a different lens
Synonyms
perspective (Most common general synonym.)
|
framework (Often suggests a more structured way of analyzing.)
|
viewpoint (Emphasizes personal opinion or position.)
Themes
education
|society
|communication
Definition
A viewpoint or way to understand something.
A particular way of thinking about, understanding, or judging something; a perspective or framework.
Grammar
Dictionary form
lens
IPA
GB/lˈɛnz/
US/lˈɛnz/
Syllables & stress
lens (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (lens)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: lens
- Plural: lenses
Word family
Forms
lenses
noun
Negative and opposite forms
lensless
adjective
Advanced or less common
lensing
noun
lenticular
adjective
Expressions
a lens on [something]
1/ə lˈɛnz ˈɔn sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
a view into something
something that shows you what [something] is like
Examples
- The documentary is a lens on life in a small town.
- Her essays offer a lens on modern workplace culture.
- The survey provides a useful lens on public opinion.
through the lens of [something]
1/θɹˈu ðə lˈɛnz əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
interpreting via a perspective
using [something] as a way to understand it
Examples
- He views every decision through the lens of cost.
- The film can be read through the lens of colonial history.
- She explains the conflict through the lens of her own experience.
Learner examples
- We studied it through the lens of history.